Adequate Discovery
by Crazy4Moony
Summary: James knows Sirius. He's not one for tradition or pleasing his family. He is not seeking a sick, twisted sort of acceptance from his parents, he's not trying to win praise. He just loves Regulus, not the approval of his family that comes with it. INCEST.


**Adequate Discovery**

**AN: I left Remus out of this fic deliberately, because for me, Sirius and Remus is canon and I hate messing that up because they're meant to be together in my opinion, though sometimes I will need this sin, and I will not be able to resist, like now.**

James _understands_.

Really, he does.

They're brothers.

Sirius is a Gryffindor, and Regulus is a Slytherin, but in essence, they're still brothers—and Sirius apologised to the Marauders, but made it very clear that even though Regulus is a Slytherin, he is still Sirius' closest relative—and if they even dare to bad-talk him, Sirius will no longer be a Marauder.

James doesn't see why Sirius feels the need to tell them this, every so often. It seems only logical to him, and from the first time James saw the two of them together, he knew.

They're brothers, and nothing can come between them. Regulus is a nice person, and he gets along well with the Marauders—ignores other Gryffindors, but greets them chipperly in the hallways.

James _really_ understands why Sirius takes such good care of Regulus. It's funny, sometimes, to watch them. Sirius' hair reaches his shoulders, framing his well-defined cheekbones, but he has a broad chest and strong arms. Regulus' face is definitely the most masculine feature of him, and his hair is cut short—but his body is frail and the few times that James has seen him in his underwear, it'd seemed as if he was so fragile, his waist could be crushed when held. He understands, that as Regulus' brother, Sirius' strong arms are obliged to protect the fragile hips. He understands.

James knows Sirius. He's not one for tradition and pleasing his family. If he loves Regulus, he loves him. He is not seeking a sick, twisted sort of acceptance from his parents. He's not trying to win praise and he isn't influenced by any single one of the lectures about the pros to an incestuous family-line.

If Sirius turns out to truly love Regulus, he loves Regulus.

Not the possible approval of his family that will come with it.

James first thinks that maybe they're more than brothers, when one late Friday evening Regulus is knocking on the door to their dorm, in-distress and crying. He knows he's supposed to be wondering about the troubled raven, and he knows he's supposed to be helping the boy—but Sirius is already holding him and listening to the shattered words—and instead he marks that Regulus is wearing Sirius' favourite muggle-band t-shirt.

And now, had Regulus ever even hinted at being a fan of any sort of muggle music, James wouldn't have thought of it twice—but the younger raven has proven to quite distaste what he only ever describes as noise, so James knows he isn't wearing the shirt to show his support.

Later, when Sirius has taken Regulus to sleep with him, worried of the fact that the boy doesn't seem to stop shaking, James is in need of the loo—when he passes his best friend's bed, the t-shirt lies innocently on the floor next to the bed, the curtains drawn tightly shut.

James makes no mind of it, he will not judge his friend like he knows some others would. He has always known Sirius' love for Regulus is unconditional, uncontrolled and untempered. It is pure and runs deep, he knows better than to disagree with it. He accepts it, to whatever extend it goes.

Of course, James doesn't know then, to what extend it goes exactly. He doesn't know that behind ruby red drapes, Sirius uses a slightly different tactic than most brothers do to cheer up their siblings—he doesn't know that his friend's remedy consists out of touches and purrs and moans.

James cannot possible know, that Sirius will spend the night making love to his brother, making him feel better in the way only he can—making him writhe against the sheets, capturing his body and devouring him completely, until no tears but only wanton cries remain.

When James wakes up the next morning, the curtains of Sirius' bed are wide-open, and Regulus is asleep there, with his t-shirt on, his head tucked courteously on the other pillow, body resting on the opposite side of the bed. James doesn't know that Sirius woke up at six, entangled with his brother, to get him clothed—the young raven rubbing his eyes tiredly, but shrugging on the shirt nonetheless—opening the drapes, and forcing himself to fall asleep again, back facing his brother, for mere appearances.

James thinks perhaps he's imagined it all, and he doesn't think of it again, until another event occurs that draws his attention to the relationship of his best friend, with said best friend's brother.

All Quidditch players have a uniform and a standard black Quidditch jacket with their name embroidered on the back and their initials up front. Regulus doesn't play Quidditch, so the first time James sees him in the jacket, with a 'B' on his chest, he frowns.

The second time he crosses Regulus and the black jacket, the boy is having an argument with Severus Snape, and he notices something he hadn't before.

"You have to stop wearing your brother's Quidditch jacket," Snape proclaims with a roll of his eyes, "it's weird."

The initials don't say 'RB', they say 'SB' and suddenly the fact that Sirius hasn't been wearing his jacket in a long time makes sense. He watches the raven disappear behind the corner with 'Sirius Black' spelled on his back, and things in his head seem to click and he doesn't want to say it out loud, but he thinks he might understand.

The next day he casually asks Sirius what happened to his jacket while they're doing homework in front of the fire. Sirius shrugs.

"You haven't seen it? I gave it to Regulus last week," he doesn't lie, and the fact that he doesn't, makes James doubt. He knows Sirius would not lie to him, but he had expected the raven to lie in the presence of others. The fact that Sirius is so open about it—Peter looking up at him in surprise—makes James wonder if he had just imagined things, "He was cold."

"Your brother wears your jacket?" Peter cuts in, "That's weird mate, the guys give their jackets to their brothers."

Sirius just shrugs again, but he smiles a little as well, and James is once more confused. He does not know what to believe now.

But he thinks he understands.

It is two months later, and they are having a Quidditch practice. Only James and Sirius are left on the pitch, since all others had given up a long time ago, the weather absolutely dreadful.

James knows something is off by the way Sirius plays. He is distracted, and though James doesn't immediately see the connection, he does when Regulus shows up.

His cheeks have a pink hue from the cold, and his Slytherin shawl blows around his in the fierce wind. He is hugging Sirius' jacket close to his body, trying to protect himself from the cold as much as he can.

"SIRIUS!" the boy throws his hands up in the air to draw his brother's attention and Sirius notices him immediately. "I GOT A P!"

He dismounts his broom before James even notices that he's gone.

By the time James has landed in the mud, Sirius and Regulus are hugging tightly, and everything seems _alright_.

"I missed you Sirius," Regulus mutters, standing on tiptoes to hold his brother around his neck, "it's been so long!"

Sirius lifts him of the ground and hugs him even tighter, no words needed. Afterwards Regulus goes to wait in the bleachers, watching them play and cheering them on.

Sirius pretends the sight of his brother did not just bring him to tears, and he plays better than he has in over a month.

James guesses that maybe they haven't seen each other a lot. Regulus works very hard to get where he is—he excels in potions and transfiguration, and James knows that it not something that has just been handed to him. He works hard and he works a lot, and his studies have priority to his fun, and the fact that _his fun_ weighs not only him down, but also Sirius, means more than any explanation ever could.

That night James wakes up and he isn't very surprised when he sees Regulus seated on Sirius' bed. He can say he isn't even all that surprised to notice that Regulus is only wearing his green boxer briefs, while Sirius took the trouble of wearing his navy blue pyjama short.

"Alright, I have a purple one," Regulus digs through a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, leaning back against the end of the bed, Sirius relaxing against the headboard lazily, "and a white one left. Which would you like?"

"Either," Sirius pokes his brother with his foot, folding his arms behind his head, "come here Reg. I'd rather have you instead."

Regulus giggles, but doesn't disobey. He crawls over to the older Black and flatters himself into his broad chest, pensively chewing on the white Bean.

"How romantic," he leans up to kiss Sirius' neck, "You get the purple one."

He feeds his brother the Bean and kisses the pink lips as soon as the close. Sirius moves one hand to cup the frail frame, and their lips don't separate.

James falls asleep to Regulus' giggles and Sirius' whispered promises of what he will do to the boy if he does not behave.

And James _understands_.

One year later the Yule Ball's date has been decided and Regulus is waiting for Potions to start when they pass him. They are on their way to Transfiguration but Sirius stops abruptly.

"Wait a sec," he turns around when he realises they passed his brother, "I'll be right back."

James wonders what he is up to, and he thinks he might know when Sirius marches to where Regulus is talking to a friend. He pats the boy on his shoulder, and he turns in surprise, though he smiles when he recognises the man.

"Hey wh—" Regulus begins, but Sirius stops him short.

"Reg, I meant to ask before," his hand slips down his arm, in that way that indicates they're more than just friends—holding his elbow delicately, "will you do me the honours of accompanying me to the Yule Ball?"

Regulus is completely dumbstruck and everyone in the hallway turns to Sirius in shock. There is no hidden meaning to be found here, James knows, because it is just about as subtle as a raging bludger in a china shop.

"I—" Regulus inhales deeply and his smile grows, "of course!"

It looks as if maybe people will let this one slide. The girls look more than willing enough, seeing how most swoon over Sirius wherever he goes.

But James reckons that ship has sailed when Sirius lifts his brother and kissing him square on the lips.

In lack of anything better to do, James starts clapping and cheers him on.

When they separate Regulus is blushing, and Sirius winks at him.

"Have fun in potions," he says and walks away.

James catches up with him and grins proudly, because he knows Sirius.

Sirius is not a man of tradition, and he does not act merely to please his family. He is brave and loving and hard when he has to be. He can live without the acceptance of his parents, but he needs the acceptance of his brother, always.

There is nothing in this world that he loves more than he loves Regulus, and James understands.

He knows that Sirius turned out to truly love Regulus, and love him truly he does.

**AN: well, that was awkward. So yeah. Siri/Reg is like a guilty pleasure... so good when you need it. Wrote this in under an hour, sorry for any mistakes left.**


End file.
